MTB from Julian Alps to the Mediterranean

Tour description

An unforgettable MTB experience from Julian Alps all the way to the charming Adriatic Coast. The tour starts in Kranjska Gora, an attractive and popular tourist resort. In the winter Kranjska Gora is famous for offerering excellent winter sports opportunities, in warmer months cyclers and hikers can enjoy in it’s great natural beauty.

This mtb tour is all about breath-taking nature, diverse landscape and love for cycling. You will first need to climb over mountain pass Vršič, Slovenia’s most beautiful mountain road, to come to the world famous Soča Valley. From here you cycle to another beautiful region, called Goriška Brda, a region famous for high-quality wine and delicious cousine. The next region will be again, totaly different from what you have seen so far. You arrive to mysterious Karst, a fascinating landscape with rocks, caves, typical karst villages, delicious prosciutto and yummy Teran wine. Also the last cycling stage will offer memorable sights as you will descent to the Mediterranean sea. You will finish in a picturesque beautiful coastal town of Piran, the gem of the Slovene Riviera.

In only 7 biking days from amazing mountain scenery to the Mediterranean

Highlights:
Triglav National Park with lively Alpine resort of Kranjska Gora
A winding and diverse mtb tour from Julian Alps
Along the emerald green Soča river
Through vineyards
Over unique Karst and Brkini
Along the Adriatic coast
Amazing views each day
Finish in charming coastal town of Piran

Duration: 8 nights / 9 days
Fitness level: High
Technical difficulty: medium
Tour type: Self guided mountain biking tour
Length and elevation: approx. 380 km and approx. 8.390 m elevation gain

**This self-guided cycling mtb tour is suitable for individuals who knows how to navigate a map and a GPS device, have previous experience in self-guided cycling and have the skill and fitness level required to be able to cycle the described 7-day mtb tours with the distance and elevation metres as described in the programe. On this cycle programe you bike also on undulating (climbing and descending) gravel & rocky tracks, forest roads, double track and occasional singletrack as well as on asphalt roads.

Itinerary

Day 1

Individual arrival to Kranjska Gora

Nestled in the Julian Alps at the triple border point of Slovenia, Italy and Austria, Kranjska Gora is an attractive and popular tourist resort throughout the year. In the winter is famous for offerering excellent winter sports opportunities, in warmer months cyclers and hikers can enjoy in it's great natural beauty, appreciated specially for its scenic cycling, walking and trekking routes. *Photo 1: Archive: www.kranjska-gora.eu, Photographer: Bogomir Košir *Photo 2: Archive: www.kranjska-gora.eu

Day 2

Kranjska Gora - Bovec (approx. 53 km, elevation gain 1.200 m, elevation loss 1.550 m)

What a panoramic cycling day. To arrive to Soča Valley you will first need to climb Vršič mountain pass. Past the Lake Jasna you start to ascend towards the highest road pass in the Eastern Julian Alps with an altitude of 1611 meters. No need to write, that this mountain pass is one of the most popular climbs in the region, right? Once on top you will admire the rough peaks of Julian Alps. Descending, you arrive to the Trenta Valley, located at the heart of the Triglav National Park. With its emerald Soča river, narrow gorges, waterfalls and mountain walls of Julian Alps, the area attracks nature lovers from around the world. Our MTB trail follows one of the most beautiful European rivers to the small town of Bovec - Soča Valley's capital. Bovec is a paradise town for adventure-sports enthusiasts, offering a wide choice of outdoor activities.

Day 3

Bovec - Kobarid (approx. 48 km, elevation gain 1.200 m, elevation loss 1.400 m)

You will leave Bovec behind cycling along the Soča river. Just before the border with Italy you turn onto the forest road that leads to the top of Mt. Stol (Mt. Chair). Reaching its highest point, you will be rewarded with incredible views of the Alps and the Soča Valley. The highlight of today's mountain biking is for sure descending on a beautiful panoramic trail that leads back to Soča Valley and after a few kilometres you arrive in small, yet attractive town of Kobarid, best known for the 1917 WWI Battle of Caporetto. Kobarid War Museum is heart breaking and touching story with unique demonstrations of fights and the life during the WW1. The Italian retreat was documented by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. Today, Kobarid is a lively tourist hub.

Day 4

Kobarid - Tolmin (approx. 42 km, elevation gain 1.760 m, elevation loss 1.770 m)

Today is the most demanding stage of this tour, a day full of climbs but there is also a fantastic descend towards the valley of the Tolminka river. You will be cycling on First World War »front lines«, through the woods and over the mountain pastures. The trail has many WW1 monuments along the way, such as the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit Javorca. Once in the valley and should you still have the energy for it, we recommend to visit the beautiful Tolmin gorges, one of the most popular tourist spots in the region.

Day 5

Tolmin - Nova Gorica (approx. 64 km, elevation gain 1.380, elevation loss 1.500)

From the Julian Alps you will reach charming Goriška Brda, often described as Slovenian Tuscany. It's all about green hills, vineyards and small secluded villages. This is the nr. 1 wine-growing region of Slovenia and the wine growers here are famous all over the world for their high-quality wine and hospitality. Arriving to Solkan means the end of the typical mountain trails along the Soča River Valley. Nova Gorica and Gorizia (Italy), a town divided by a country border, is just a few kilometres away.

Day 6

Nova Gorica - Divača (approx. 65 km, elevation gain 1.000 m, elevation loss 650 m)

The longest biking stage takes you to magical Karst. It is an enjoyable mtb ride on hidden and lonely mtb trails. First you will climb to Monument of Peace and Observation Tower in Cerje, on the edge of the Karst plateau. This 25-metre tall monument and observation tower is home to precious treasures of Slovenian history and art. The views from here are simply magnificent, you can see all the way to the Adriatic Sea, the Friuli Plains, the Julian Alps and the Vipava Valley. Slovenia is a karstic land, full of rocky landscape, with more than 8.000 caves (only about 20 of them are open for public). But also here you find lots of vineyards, for sure the most famous wine to be produced here, is the Teran wine. Another recognized feature from Karst are delicious prossiutto and of course the noble white Lipizzaner horses. Famous Lipica Stud Farm is the oldest European stud farm for breeding one of the oldest cultural horse breeds.

Day 7

Divača, Mt. Vremščica (approx. 42 km, elevation gain 970, elevation loss 970)

Vremščica is a mountain ridge (1.027 m) and it enables beautiful mtb cycling. With it's well preserved and vast pastures is a genuine treasure of karst biotic diversity. Vremščica is also known for Sheep Farm, well it is actually an infrastructure center, owned by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ljubljana, which provides research, education and ecological production. Their ecologically-produced cheese has become a true concept for many cheese lovers and experts in terms of quality and taste. You can buy some and taste it yourself as they are selling it just below Vremščica peak. Once on top, you get to enjoy amazing views on surrounding mountains Nanos and Snežnik, the neighbouring Brkini and all the way to the Adriatic sea. On your way back to Divača you will cycle also on beautiful trail along river River (river Reka) in Škocjan Caves Park. We recommend the visit of the amazing Škocjan Caves which are under UNESCO protection.

Day 8

Divača - Piran (approx. 65 km, elevation gain 850 m, elevation loss 1.300)

Last biking day is first taking you to Brkini, a picturesque hilly landscape in the middle of the Karst, a real paradise for cyclers. You will climb to the highest point in Brkini, to the hill above the village of Artviže, with charming little Church of St. Socerb (on 817 m), from where you can enjoy in beautiful views on the surrounding. From here a nice descend follows, taking you to the Mythic Park – a unique tourist destination that revives Old Slavic and Slavic beliefs – before you reach the medieval Socerb castle, with amazing views to the Gulf of Trieste. A steep descend will lead you to the Osp Valley, village of Osp is one of the oldest villages in Slovenia, a paradise for sport climbing. And finaly you start descending towards the sea level, approaching the city of Koper, the main urban centre of the Slovenian Istria. From there, the route follows the Parenzana cycle path. Following the Parenzana and passing through some tunnels on the way, you reach the city of Piran, the most beautiful town on the Slovenian coast. This picturesque Mediterranean walled town, with its Venetian Gothic architecture, is surely a perfect place to end this fabolous MTB tour.

Day 9

End of the programe and departure

Price per person

Price per person (sharing a double room): 1.245 €

Price includes:
8 night accommodation in 3 or 4-star hotels or private guesthouses
8 breakfasts and tourist tax
Navigation pack: GPS track, maps, tour booklet with technical information
Luggage transfer between hotels/tour stages
24/7 hotline number (support)
Organization and VAT

Optional:
Single room supplement: 320 €
Mtb rent: 165 € (Scott Aspect 940)
E-Mtb rent: 286 € (Scott Aspect eRide 30)
Helmet: 14 €
Mtb delivery / pick up: 350 € (per booking/shuttle, up to 6 bikes, not per person)

Price excludes:
Arrival / departure to / from first / last hotel
Travel and activity insurance
Personal safety and cycling equipment
Lunches, dinner, drinks
Entrance fees
Any other expenses that are not mentioned as included

Date: May to September

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